Honor Magic 9 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Verdict
Honor Magic 9 Pro Max scores higher on the OH Rank (86 vs 82), winning 2 of 10 categories including Screen and Desktop Replacement. Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is 1mm wider than Honor Magic 9 Pro Max. Honor Magic 9 Pro Max is the more recent release, from Oct 8, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
86
82
Honor Magic 9 Pro Max
77mm (3.03in) · Oct 8, 2026 · Rank #1
15+13+13+12+15+4+4+0+5+5 = 86
SUPERIOR* TOP Performance* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Camera* TOP Selfie* TOP Software* TOP Desktop Replacement
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectation of charging, screen and imaging performance) Following last year's Xiaomi lead, Honor jumped on the iPhone-copy-naming-trend and made 9 Pro Max. It is 2mm wider then previous top model and packs upgrades: chip, 1700mAh bigger battery(!), brighter screen, new 200MP main and 55MP selfie cameras - all for less then $1000.
PROs
unique camera island design with optional external 200mm zoom lens, top SD 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2nm) with UFS 4.1 performance, 48hr endurance from a huge 8800mAh Si-C battery with sub-90min 100W (80W wireless) charging, >1800nits bright 460ppi 120Hz LTPO OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP69 protection, excellent 200MP 23mm OIS main + 200MP 80mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 12mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) setup, very good new 55MP selfie, very good video recording, AI and other features loaded MagicOS with 7 years of OS updates iOS integration, mature desktop replacement feature, fast USB-C 3.2 port with OTG and Display Port 1.2 tech
CONs
big and 230g heavy, at 8800mAh - battery size could be an overkill, no AF on selfie for the second year, no expandable memory slot, lacks Apple's and Samsung's global distribution
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
78mm (3.07in) · Sep 18, 2026 · Rank #7
15+14+11+12+15+5+5+0+5+0 = 82
SUPERIOR* BEST Video* TOP Performance* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP PHOTO/VIDEO* TOP Selfie* TOP Camera* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: In search of greater profits (as there's no such thing as "enough") Apple is back to incremental improvments. This time: black color is back, new processor, variable aperture on one of the lenses, smaller selfie camera cutout and improved charging speed... that, and a $100 higher price.
PROs
tank-like build, new A20 Pro (2nm) chip with NVMe performance, ~42hr endurance with 60min ~50W (25W wireless) charging, very good 460ppi 120Hz LTPO OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection, excellent 48MP 24mm f/1.5-4.0 OIS main + 48MP 100mm OIS periscope telephoto + 48MP 13mm ultrawide (all 3 with PDAF) setup, great 18MP 20mm PDAF selfie, best video recording, improved Siri AI (by Google) OS with 6 years of updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port with Display Port tech, global availability
CONs
250g heavy, big and difficult to use one-hand, small (for a huge phone) 5400mAh (5500mAh on eSIM-only model) old-tech lithium battery, sub-1000nits (!) screen brightness, no expandable memory, no desktop replacement feature despite Display Port tech, very expensive, overall lack of innovation and excellence Apple products used to be known for
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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